Wednesday, December 7, 2011

781. The father's day present

Yesterday, Tuesday, I worked past 7.30 pm and at 5 pm, I met a senior citizen who brought in a gold and white Shih Tzu of around 8 months old, with a bleeding toe nail. Dr Vanessa had treated it and bandaged the left hind foot.

"I better not do it myself next time," the taxi driver told me.
"Why did you buy this gold and white shih Tzu?" I asked.
"My son bought it for me," he said. "A present on Father's Day. From his friend."
I was surprised that the undergraduate with a scholarship would buy such a big responsibility for his father.
It was a good gift since the father loved the dog. "My wife used to dislike dogs," he told me. "But after getting this one, she loves dogs."
"That is great news," I said. "How is his toilet training?"

"I put his urine on the newspapers and he just go to the papers every time he needs to pee and poop," the father held on tightly to this high-maintenance dog.
"This is an intelligent dog," I said. "However, he is very thin. Feel the sharp spines," I showed the father. The thick luxuriant coat had covered up the thinness of the body.
I advised adding dry dog food to the usual canned food, at 80% dry food and the dog would put on weight. The son is good as now his parents have some company in an empty nest. Aged parents become "children" nowadays and so it is good that the dog keeps them company.